Q&A: After shootings, officers talk to him

Sunday ConversationAfter shootings, officers go to him

Law enforcement officers in Harris County are involved in 20 to 25 shootings each year, and last week two Houston police officers were involved in the fatal shooting of a drug suspect. Most are reluctant to discuss shooting incidents. But at the Houston Police Department, those involved in shootings are required to talk with the police psychologist.David W. Bissett has interviewed an estimated 50 officers within 72 hours of a shooting— usually near the end of a required three days off. He spoke recently to Houston Chronicle reporter Lise Olsen:

Q: What kinds of reactions do you hear about in a post-shooting interview?

A: I ask them to provide a detailed account of the incident that begins with the time they got the call and goes through the event. So, if you include that whole range of experiences, the emotional reactions I hear about are a very strong fear and a focus on controlling danger.

There's a very keen sense of concentration that develops during those few moments (of a shooting), and the aftermath brings ... relief that the suspect was not able to do harm to others, relief that the officer was unhurt, and sadness and regret that they had to either shoot and wound or kill someone.

Some officers are in a state of shock and disbelief when they come in here. A fair number are very religious and talk about feelings of guilt.

In terms of post-traumatic stress symptoms, which is the other thing we're looking for, a fairly significant number report intrusive thoughts, which means that they keep replaying the event over and over in their head. Some percentage have difficultly sleeping — they can't get the event out of their mind.

(Most are) ready and eager to go back to work as soon as possible because it helps get their mind off of it.

Q: What impact does a shooting have on officers' families?

A: When an officer is involved in a shooting, it frequently disturbs their spouses and their children. For the families, as well as for the officers themselves, being involved in a shooting brings home the risk of the level of danger they face. ... It's something they accept, but it's something they ignore for the most part.

Q: What shooting scenarios seem hardest for officers to handle?

A: (For) the ones who have been at arm's length from someone who drew a weapon on them, there's often a sense of ambush. The whole event has been more disruptive and distressing than when the person who is holding the weapon (was) 25 feet away.

Another situation in which officers suffer a lot of distress is when a child is injured at the scene. I've interviewed officers who shot an adult who was in the process of hurting or killing children. In that type of situation, it's not the shooting that disturbs them but the witnessing of what's being done to children.

Q: In a book about police officers' reactions to shootings, called Into The Kill Zone: A Cop's Eye View of Deadly Force, author David Klinger interviewed officers who admitted they lied to department psychologists about their feelings because they didn't want to be forced to miss more work. Do you think officers have lied to you?

A: I think that's true for some. I have no way of knowing how many. (In over 10 years), only two officers returned to see me after many months because they had not been able to get the incident out of their head. That seems like a low number.